A member asked:

Is there anyway to permanently treat ptsd?

8 doctors weighed in across 3 answers

Sometimes.: Exposure therapy and emdr are very effective in reducing or eliminating ptsd symptoms. Whether symptoms are eliminated or only reduced depends on how severe, complex, prolonged, human caused, and early in life the trauma was. Torture, prolonged combat or abuse, and trauma that occurs early in life are often the most difficult. Substance abuse and additional disorders complicate recovery.

Answered 9/7/2016

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Dr. Heidi Fowler answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

Sometimes: Ptsd may resolve permanently for some people. However for many it remains an albatross. For the most severe cases of complex ptsd a goal is controlling one's symptoms rather than the symptoms controlling their life.

Answered 9/7/2016

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Management: Typically with the more severe cases of PTSD, the medical/psychological is not so much about curing it, as it is about effectively managing it. It never goes away in the sense of being cured. In a way both patients and doctors are students of managing severe cases of PTSD, and never master of controlling it, unfortunately.

Answered 2/21/2015

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Related Questions

A member asked:

Can it help treat ptsd to try and prevent what caused it from happening again?

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers